


just follow my smile

by reddishblue



Series: sugar, we're going down [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Altean Keith (Voltron), Alternate Universe - Royalty, Bodyguard Lance (Voltron), Galra Lance (Voltron), M/M, Pining Lance (Voltron), Prince Keith (Voltron)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-06
Updated: 2019-05-06
Packaged: 2020-02-26 22:46:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18726385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reddishblue/pseuds/reddishblue
Summary: "Are you... joking right now?" the prince asks incrediously, his face scrunches in confusion. Lance pinches his arm to stop himself from laughing at the prince's face.Lance gives him finger guns, "That's right, Your Highness. I don't give a fuck as long as you're safe." And then Lance sends him a wink andholy fuck is he looking for a dead wish?Keith seems to be thinking the same thing, looking at Lance weirdly. Finally he shakes his head, "What is wrong with you? You do know you will get killed from making fun of a royalty, don't you?"—Galra Bodyguard Lance proves his worth as a great bodyguard to Altean Prince Keith.(ft. Very-Good-At-Hiding-It-Pining Lance)





	just follow my smile

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry for creating this monster of a fic, I just need to write something and I haven't written in a month.  
> This would (hopefully) be a series because I am in love with this complete reverse concept. I actually already have an idea of the continuation of this (with pining Keith) so let's hope writer's block wouldn't kick my ass!
> 
> Title from the song "Irresistible" by Fall Out Boy

Lance has a happy life.

Sure he's Galra, and  _sure_ he's a Galra halfbreed at that. And not to mention the fact that he's the youngest of the family, effectively making people look down on him. 

But he have a loud, annoying but fun family who always support him no matter how crazy his dreams are, very loyal and helpful friends that's always be there for him, always watching his back. And Lance's happy-go-lucky and flirty manner makes having friends very easy, and in no time he's immediately well-liked throughout the whole kingdom.

And the fact that he's a trained Blade of Marmora (a surprise for anyone who just met him due to his very bright and totally not Marmora demeanor) and is one of the best in snipers and swords, and because of the peace treaty that the Galra and Altea has crafted years ago, the Galra is made to be the bodyguard of the Queen of Altea's one and only child.

Prince Keith of Altea.

From what Lance has heard of him (basically rumors from Hunk and other patrons and some facts from Pidge), Prince Keith is said to be a very cold prince. Not as in evil cold, but more of the quiet cold guy. Like a bad boy, as Hunk supplies to him. Which is weird because from all the pictures Lance has of the prince (three pictures, none of which are HD), his aesthetic is full of red, one of the loudest color there is. Hell, even the prince's V-shaped marks are red! Well, at least that's what it seems from the pictures.

(Hunk and Pidge teases him that maybe the prince is so ugly, the camera couldn't take a good picture of him. Lance just laughs at them while internally praying to any deity up there that it isn't true.)

But of course it's proven to be true. During their first meeting, of which being Keith's 19th birthday, the prince just nods at Lance respectfully, not even saying a word other than a soft, "Keith." at him. Lance just nods back, biting his lips from grinning since Kolivan's watching him like a hawk.

Because  _goddamn_ , the prince is hot as fuck. Deity up there, thank you!

The prince has a black -- and unusual color for Altean -- hair that's braided nicely, resting on his shoulder. As what Lance had assumes, the V-shaped marks on the pale skin  _is_ red and weirdly enough, glowing softly. His clothes are, to no surprise, very red orientated, with some white splatters on it. And as Lance's purple eyes goes back up to the prince's face, he freezes.

The prince's dark blue eyes are on him, watching his every move and that, frankly, turns on Lance's fight-or-flight mode, hands already on his knife. Those dark blue eyes pins to Lance's hand before looking back at the latter's purple eyes and smirks, as if mocking him. His eyes seems to say,  _fuck you_ to Lance. And Lance just blinks and purses his lips, guess the prince isn't too happy with this.

'Isn't too happy' is an understandment because once they're dismissed and Lance and Keith are alone, walking back to the prince's room and, naturally, Lance's room, the prince had stopped in front of his room before turning back to Lance proceeds to punch the wall near the Galra's head (being halfbreed makes him shorter than a normal Galra, after all) and glares at Lance intensely. 

"Listen here, Sir," Keith says darkly and Lance somehow manages to stop shivering, "I may look like a damsel in distress but I don't need. Your.  _Help._ " His glare intensify and Lance can't help the grin that's appearing on his face. Silent prince, my ass.

"Well, listen here, Your Highness," Lance smiles, "I have a job here and whether you like it or not, I actually do need to keep your ass safe. So if you have a problem here, you can talk to my manager." He watches in amusement when the prince's face switches from anger and intimidating to confused.

"Are you... joking right now?" the prince asks incrediously, his face scrunches in confusion. Lance pinches his arm to stop himself from laughing at the prince's face. The prince has a very expressive face. Especially the eyebrows.

Lance gives him finger guns, "That's right, Your Highness. I don't give a fuck as long as you're safe." And then Lance sends him a wink and  _holy fuck is he looking for a dead wish?_

Keith seems to be thinking the same thing, looking at Lance weirdly. Finally he shakes his head, "What is wrong with you? You do know you will get killed from making fun of a royalty, don't you?"

"Of course I do! But I'm not insulting you, aren't I, Your Highness? Unless..." Lance's eyes glints, baiting Keith, "you feel insulted just by this?"

Keith flares almost immediately, "Of course not! Quiznak, why would I?" Lance bites his lips, the prince's too easy. Seems like he's competitive as hell too.

Before they both could debate longer, Lance cleares his throat, "Well, Your Highness? Why don't you go back to your chamber? I'm sure you're tired today." Lance eyes the door to the prince's chamber.

Keith looks like he wants to argue but he bites his tongue and opens his door. Lance sighs internally, Good job Lance! He whirles around and walks to his own chamber.

"Wait," Lance freezes in his track and looks back. The prince is halfway in his room, hand on the doorknob. He looks a bit flustered (cute!) but doesn't shy away from Lance's eyes, "you don't have to call me Your Highness, the prince is fine." he says boldly.

Lance smiles, maybe the prince isn't so bad after all, "Of course prince." 

As if he could look even more flustered, the prince calls him again, "And- uh..." this time he  _does_ shy away from Lance's eyes, his marks glowing red (and fuck his heart couldn't take it!), "I... I don't know your name..."

Scratch that. He's the worst. "You don't know my name?"

"You didn't tell me!" Keith says hurriedly.

" _You_ didn't ask!" Lance points out.

"Well, I'm asking now, aren't I?"

Well then, he's not wrong. "...Lance." The Galra says defeatedly.

Keith blinks before frowning, "Your family names you after a weapon?"

"Shut your quiznak."

"That's not how you use it correctly." 

All in all, the prince is a brat. A kind, oblivious and sorta slow (in words) brat.

Who -- Lance sighs irritably -- is hiding in the enormous castle.

Which brings back to here. Lance's walking down the hall, clad in the purple Marmora uniform, his hood and mask on his face, hiding his whole body (he really didn't understand why he should use the mask or the hoodie but Kolivan is incredibly insistent about it). The mask creates a beautiful illuminating light of purple, giving off the sense of mystery. That or he looks like a walking neon lights.

It has been a few phoebs since the prince's 19th birthday and the prince has only been watching him quietly, as if testing whether Lance's worthy to be his bodyguard or not. In a way, it probably is because Keith gets frustrated everytime Lance found him while they're playing hide and seek.

And this is probably another test of that insolent brat. God knows what's going on in that pretty head of the prince.

And he really had thought they bonded already. But _nooo_ Keith apparently takes a leaf out of the Blade of Marmora trial's book and has to test Lance's worth. The Marmoran huffs in annoyance as he fiddles with his hood. _Why did he run away this time?_

As the Galra makes more insults that he would probably say to the prince later, he hears a loud commotion nearby. He skids to a halt as he turns to the next hall. Guards are rummaging the whole hall, opening and checking rooms, moving all the decorations and potraits in search for what? Lance raises his eyebrow in curiosity.

"Prince Keith!" a familiar sound shouts, loud sound of boots clacking on the ground follows it.

Of course it's him, the Galra smirks, his fangs poking out of his mouth. _A clue_. So the prince must be around here.

Guess he could check this place for him as well. Lance scans the room with his purple iris and yellow sclera, walking silently. His tail swishes softly behind him.

"Where did he go?" another voice asks. Mutters of annoyance echoes through the hall as the guards searches for their prince.

Lance ignores them in exchange for searching carefully for any sign of the aforementioned royalty. Knowing that Alteans are a master of shapeshifting -- since they usually do that for some peace treaty diplomatic mission or something like that -- there is a very high chance that the prince is using that ability to hide around here somewhere. And since most royals are taught extensively with the shapeshifting, prince Keith must be good at it... His purple eyes shifts from the wall towards a weird-looking shadow.

Lance stifles a laugh.

Not far from said hall, hides Keith, the prince of the Altea, camouflaging with the wall. He's very still. Lance blinks in surprise, a smile tugging his lips, replacing the smirk on his face. If only he uses those dedication for politics, Lance snickers.

"Sir Lance?" One of the guards must have walks toward him, because they're right beside him all of a sudden. Lance doesn't break his gaze on the weird shadow by the wall. "Yes?"

"Have you found the prince?" Lance looks at the guard from the corner of his eye, they must be a newbie, shy and face red of shame. That or they despises asking for help from Galra. Lance refrains himself from giggling at them.

Instead, he waves his purple clawed hand, "I'll search for him myself. You guys go back to your station." Lance uses the best Kolivan voice (read: most serious voice) he could muster at the guard, finally looking at the person beside him.

They gulps, face turning even redder -- did he really look that intimidating?, "R- Right away, sir. Thank you." They go back to the groups of guards and shouts orders, probably to return to their destinated station.

Once all the guards are gone, Lance flicks his eyes to the spot where the prince is hiding, a small victorious grin on his face, making the marks on his cheeks more lopsided, "They're gone now, prince. You can come out now." He walks to the wall where the prince is and turns off his mask.

Lance hears a small sigh from the wall (thank you sensitive ears) and lifts his smile even wider. Lance: 5, Prince Keith: 0.

Slowly, the wall shifts and a body is formed. Colors starts to show on the skin, hair and every clothes. Finally, the body opens his blue, stormy eyes and scowls at Lance, his thick eyebrows scrunching on his pale forehead.

"How'd you find out." the prince says. Keith crosses his arms and leans against the wall, eyes never leaving Lance's.

Lance leans against the wall as well, however opposite to Keith, smiling at the prince. "Your shadow." he points a clawed hand at the offending object.

Keith blinks and stares at his shadow for a moment. Then he frowns, a thoughtful frown, Lance realizes. After spending quite a long time seeing the prince's frowning eyebrows, he's able to differentiate them accurately.

Of course not for other weird and perverted thoughts! It's not like he likes to see the prince's red and thin lips that's always in a pout -- psh, why would he do that! Absolutely ridiculous! And he wouldn't stare at the marks on his cheeks that's actually ruby red instead of the apple red that he once thought and --  Okay, Lance! Stop that train of thoughts right here and right now! Don't even think about it --

"Follow me." Keith says suddenly, already walking through the hallway. Lance lets out a confused, "huh?" before yelping and follows Keith, who's already quite far away from him. Thanks to his long legs, he had an advantage and soon enough he's right beside Keith.

Lance looks at Keith, confusion clear as day on his face, "Where are we going?" When the prince doesn't reply, Lance clears his throat, "Prince Keith?"

That seems to snap Keith out of his... whatever it is. "We're going to the training room."

Well that sure as quiznak doesn't satisfy him at all. Lance frowns at the prince, a stony look on the latter's face stops the Galra from trying to argue with him. Whatever it is, Keith is very serious about this all.

Once they made it to the training room, Keith pushes the other male roughly to the middle, making the latter gasps in surprise. Lance pulls down his hood and snarls at Keith, "Oi, what gives, you asshole?" Keith ignores him and instead whips out a sword from god knows where.

And then Lance looks at Keith in the eyes again and his fight-or-flight mode are activated, moving into a defensive stance and takes out his blade, transforming it into a sword.

Keith looks pleased at him, before his stance turns to offensive. "Fight me, Lance."

What a brat, he really doesn't care about titles -- wait what.

"Wait what?" Lance yelps when Keith all but charges at him, the red blade meeting his purple ones. A loud clanking noise echoes through the room. Oh, thank god, Lance manages to dodge that one, it'll bring shame to the Blade of Marmora if he actually got caught off guard. "Prince? Why are we doing this?" the Galra screams out when Keith attacks again, this time much faster and more precise.

"Just fight me with everything you've got, Lance!" Keith tells him, somehow his voice are calm and composed while he's attacking Lance with a scary speed. Holy hell, Lance's going to die in the hands of a hot prince. Not a bad way to die but it's so going to hit his pride if he die here!

So Lance listens to what Keith orders him to and starts attacking with earnest as well, his tail curling on one of his leg to not hinder his attacks. He grits his teeth and charges towards Keith, nearly impaling him. Lance feels a sense of horror and was about to apologize when he sees Keith's face. Keith smirks wildly and it fuels him. 

After that the fight gets intense. Not just because Lance finally attacks back, but because they're both a skilled swordsman. Keith is surprisingly sturdy with his sword, able to fight with it as if it's as easy as breathing and walking. Swords clanking together and sweats forms around Lance's body. Keith's attacks are vicious and fast, and Lance finds himself blocking his attacks more than thrusting the sword towards the prince.

(Wait shit bad wording! Bad Lance!)

Keith swished the sword to Lance and Lance barely able to dodge it. Before he could push Keith and his sword away, the latter drops his weapon and Lance gasps in surprise. "What are you -- Shit!" Keith switches the hand holding his sword and almost cuts Lance's neck. If it weren't for Lance's quick instinct, he's 100% sure he would have been dead. Lance jumps backwards to give them both space and he gulps for a breath. Keith is obviously a good swordsman, even better than he is. A sense of dread lingers inside of him. Lance could actually lose.

Which means he can only do one thing.

He puts a maniacal smile on his face. The giddiness vibrates through his whole body and he chuckles softly.

Keith must've seen the smile on his face because the Altean tilts his head. "Why are you smiling? Did your head got hit and you've gone crazy?" he walks towards Lance to checks up on the Galra.

Lance smirks, hook, line and sinker. When he feels that Keith is close enough towards him, he immediately drops down and sweeps Keith off his feet. Keith gasps in surprise and isn't able to stop himself from falling down the floor. As soon as the Altean is on the floor, Lance uncurls his tail and climbs on top of him and pushes the red sword out of Keith's grasps. He smirks, locking Keith's legs and de-transforms his sword into a simple knife, pressing it on Keith's throat. "You lose."

Keith watches him for a moment before sighing. "Get off me." He frowns, pushing Lance's torso.

"Of course, Prince," Lance says teasingly, snickering when Keith's frowns even harder, "If you tell me why you did that." Keith tensed for a moment before sighing once more (damn, how many times had he sigh?). "Okay, okay. Just get your bony ass off me." Keith says quietly

Lance smirks and gets off him, squatting down on the floor, his tail swishing happily (but not without a playful whine of, _"My ass is not flat!"_ ) and waits as Keith sits up and swats imaginary dusts of his lap. Once Keith has comfortably stationed himself on the floor, sitting criss-crossed next to the purple boy.

"So...?" Lance asks, smiling in amusement when Keith turns to him and gives him a glare, his red marks lighting up. Keith pinches the bridge of his nose before finally taking a deep breath and releases it.

"I was testing you," Keith swats the Galra when the latter pretends to be shock, "oh stop with the theatrics, I know you notice it you ass, I wasn't hiding it or anything," Lance chuckles and Keith frowns at him, "I want to see how good you are at this all. Sure, Kolivan and Krolia had shown me all of your successful missions but I want to see your... ability myself. I want to see if you're one of those stoic-ass guards who only listens to Krolia or some sort like that." Keith explains to him, his hands moving around a few times as he did that. 

Lance nods understandingly, so it  _was_ a test! He knew it! Keith watches Lance's reactions before relaxing when the latter doesn't show any negative signs of it. Lance smiles toothily at the prince, "So did I pass? I mean it  _is_ a test so either I fail or I pass. And since you're still here, sitting down with me, talking with me and all... I passed, right?" he smiled giddily.

Keith stares at the male deadpanly, "You have little to no respect to me, teasing me almost everytime we talk. You always breach my personal space and not to mention you joke around a lot and is so damn prideful."  _And you really thought you pass?_ Keith's dark blue eyes seems to say.

Lance laughs nervously and presses the tip of his index fingers together guiltily, "Right..." So that means he's getting fired, huh?

"But you're quite fun and you listen to my command to fight me and you prove yourself to be stronger than me even though you cheated," Keith coughs at the end and Lance shouts a loud, _"No I didn't!"_ but Keith continues again, "You also didn't look down on me and actually did your job well so... I guess..." Keith shrugs weakly and Lance brightens up.

"I passed?!" Lance smiles at Keith, his body buzzing with excitement.

Keith rolls his eyes, "Yes, you passed. Congratulation Lance, you're not as much of an asshole as I thought you were." He drawls.

"Fuck yeah I'm not!" Lance jumps up with a whoop and pump his fists in the air, "I'm not getting fired!" 

What a great fucking day! He gets a compliment from the prince, _and_ not getting fired!

As he does his victory dance, which is filled with pumping fists in the air, dabbing, moonwalks and jumping around, Keith chuckles at Lance's dance and stands up. 

"Catch, Lance." is the only warning Keith gives before he throws something at Lance. The purple boy gasps in surprise and catches it in his fist. "What's this?" he asks, waving his fist in the air.

"Open your goddamn fist, you ruggle." Keith rolls his eyes picking up his sword and de-transform it.

Lance looks at him skeptically and opens his fist. Inside it he sees a V-shaped magnetic pin insignia, colored red... just like Keith's marks on his cheeks.

He holds the pin with his thumb and index finger, holding it upwards towards the light, seeing the red gleaming bright. "What's this for?"

Keith shrugs, "Krolia told me to give it to you. It's a symbol, meaning that the one who uses it will follow and protect me and whatever. When you use it, you'll be my bodyguard and only mine. You should put my safety above all else."

Lance was about to agree with it but Keith continues on, "But I hate that kind of bullshit so you can just watch my back and prioritize what you want as long as you don't betray me. Got it?" he tells Lance, face serious.

The Galra smiles full of gratitude, "Of course, Prince Keith. Thank you." He was going to kiss Keith (Out of happiness! Not because of anything!) but stops himself because... yeah, it's inappropriate. Instead he bows out of respect and puts on the magnetic pin on the left side of his chest-plate.

He smiles fondly at the pin before saluting at the prince, winking at him. Keith just sighs and walks out of the room and opens the door. Suddenly he stops at the door, "Lance?"

"Yes, Prince?" Lance asks dutifully, picking up his knife and checking any damage on it. 

"You can call me Keith." the prince says softly. And the knife on Lance's hand falls as he whirls around and gapes at the prince, err -- Keith.

"Wait, seriously?" Lance shouts in disbelief, "won't I get, I don't know...  _killed_ if I did that?" he teased, remembering their first talk with each other.

To his eternal surprise and disbelief, that he still wonders until now whether he was dreaming about that part or not, Keith smiles at him. The first smile he has given and shown to Lance. "Not if I order you to." Keith tells him and he had the _quiznaking_ gall to wink at Lance! Keith smiles even wider when he sees Lance's purple-r face and swishing tail and goes out of the room, leaving the blushing Galra alone in the room.

Lance immediately falls down on his knees, his knees resting on his chest.

Holy quiznak.

The prince never smiles at him before. He usually smirks at him, or sneer at him. Hell, he even chuckles at him. But it's all just mocking or teasing Lance. For the past phoebs Lance stays here, Keith never... smiles that softly at anyone, not even his mother! So why would he... smile so soft and warm and cutely at him?

Holy _motherfucking_ quiznak.

Lance smiles and hides his warm face with his hands. He chuckles softly, that prince is going to be the dead of him.

 

**Author's Note:**

> If anyone actually manages to read all of this, I applaud you.  
> Please leave kudos and comments ^^


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